Well, at least this guy isn’t behind the plate again tonight. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times)

The Tampa Bay Rays are back in Arlington Tuesday night, following the rally killing — game ending — debacle which found them on the wrong side of a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers Monday.

All things controversial aside, the Rays seemed to be a half step behind the Rangers all night, not really putting the pieces together until late in the game. To add insult to injury, Tampa Bay extended their perplexing 0-9 hit-less streak with the bases loaded (0-11 going back to 2012).

And if the offensive malaise wasn’t enough, Jeremy Hellickson’s 26th birthday outing seemed more like a present for the Rangers than it did for he or the Rays. The outing was cut short after posting an inefficient 5.0 IP/5 H/3 R/3 ER/3 BB/1 K/2 HR slash line, tossing 98 pitches (59 for strikes).

Roberto Hernandez will get the start for the Rays opposite of Rangers newcomer, Nick Tepesch. Hernandez has lost his last five decisions against the Rangers, owning a 2-8 record in 12 career starts against them with a 5.37 ERA. He’s coming off a four run, 6-2/3 inning outing against Baltimore, where he fell victim to Chris Davis (4 RBI, 2B, HR) and the Orioles in the 6-3 loss.

The Rangers have had previous success against Hernandez in the past. Nelson Cruz (5-16, 3 HR), David Murphy (7-14), and Elvis Andrus 5-14) have all been particularly troublesome for the Rays starter.

Tampa Bay will look to ruin Rangers starter Nick Tepesch’s big-league debut. According to ESPN.com, Tepesch won the fifth spot in Texas’ rotation out of spring training, but the team elected to skip his first start due to an off day Thursday.

Tepesch did throw on his normal rest that day for Triple-A Round Rock, an outing where he surrendered five hits and an unearned run over five innings. He was 0-1 with a 6.50 ERA in 18 innings this spring. We’ll post the starting lineup when it becomes available.

Following his recent addition to the 15-day DL, news broke that RHP Jeff Niemann is in need of shoulder surgery which will “most likely” end his season, as per the team. Niemann’s velocity has been down since spring training, and he was injured a lot last year. According to Hard Ball Talk‘s Craig Calcaterra, it looks like a rough rehab plus a non-tender this offseason is in the future. Tough break.

This is going to be an easy game synopsis. Tampa Bay got shutout by a score of 13-0 by the Cleveland Indians Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. With a 3-3 record on this young season, the Rays will embark on a 10-game road trip starting Monday in Arlington, where they will take on the Texas Rangers. Marc Topkin may have said it best in a piece that he penned,

Price had statistically his worst outing in the majors, allowing a career-high eight earned runs and 10 hits in only five innings in a 13-0 loss to the Indians before 21,629 at Tropicana Field.

Price fell behind hitters, left pitches over the middle of the plate and was knocked out of the game after three-run homers by Mark Reynolds and Lonnie Chisenhall. Reynolds also homered in the seventh off Kyle Farnsworth, providing two of the five blasts among the Indians’ 17 hits.

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The Rays didn’t do much to support Price against Indians starter Justin Masterson. They loaded the bases with two outs in the first on a single by Ben Zobrist and walks to Evan Longoria and James Loney. But Yunel Escobar struck out for the first of three times.

That sums things up well. If you absolutely must indulge in our mediocre thoughts on today’s game, head here to read our blow by blow synopsis. Otherwise, the Rays and Rangers series preview follows:

Rays and Rangers series starters.

Rays and Rangers offensive numbers.

More offensive numbers.

Tampa Bay Rays series starters as per Rotowire: Hellickson gave up five runs over 6.1 innings Wednesday, giving up eight hits and striking out two in the win over Baltimore. Hernandez pitched 6.2 innings Thursday, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts and was on the hook for the loss against the Orioles. Moore pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out eight against the Indians on Friday.

Texas Rangers series starters as per Rotowire: Ogando had an impressive 2013 season debut Wednesday, striking out 10 batters and allowing just four hits and a walk over 6.1 shutout innings against the Astros. Tepesch has earned the final spot in the Texas rotation, though he didn’t begin the season on the Opening Day roster, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Holland struck out five and walked one while giving up two runs on six hits over seven innings in no decision Friday against the Angels.

The Rays offense regressed somewhat in the series against the Indians. Their conversion percentage wRISP dropped by 27%, while they scored five fewer runs overall, scored four fewer runs with two outs, and averaged 1.7 fewer runs per game. On the bright side, Tampa Bay gave up nine fewer runs with two-outs in their three game set against the Indians. Compare that to the 14 two-out runs the Rays gave up to the Orioles.

With the exception of the number of runs relented with two outs, Texas and Tampa Bay seem fairly evenly keeled offensively.

Hellickson is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in three career outings against the Rangers, including a loss in a 2011 AL division series.

Including the playoffs, Elvis Andrus has gone 0-8 against Hellickson. Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman, on the other hand, are a combined 5-8 with four homers.

The Rangers have a slightly different look from the team that collapsed down the stretch last season and missed out on the bulk of the 2012 post-season play. Josh Hamilton signed with the Rangers rival Los Angeles Angels, and Mike Napoli was picked up by the Red Sox in the off-season. The Rangers have added A.J. Pierzynski and DH Lance Berkman to a still potent lineup which still features Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler. Andrus has hit .310 in 32 career games against the Rays.

The Rays won last year’s series 5-4. Rangers lead overall 77-62, while going 46-26 in Arlington.

Nick Tepesch: The Rays have never faced Tepesch, a 14th round draft pick by the Rangers in 2010.

Derek Holland: Derek Holland has been a bit of a thorn in the side of the Rays the last two seasons, holding Tampa Bay to a combined .234 BA/.294 OBP/.484 SLG/.778 OPS slash line in 124 at-bats. Holland is prone to give up the long ball though, having given up six to the Rays, three of which to Evan Longoria. Key match-ups: Kelly Johnson (1-3), Matt Joyce (2-3, RBI), Desmond Jennings (3-14, 2 3B, RBI, BB), Evan Longoria (9-22, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB), Ben Zobrist (6-21, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, BB).

Desmond Jennings, showing off his football skills, plows into catcher Lou Marson trying to beat a throw in the third inning. Jennings is out, Marson later leaves with a neck strain, and, the Rays believe, Evan Longoria is hit by a pitch in retaliation. (Daniel Wallace/Times)

The Rays shutout the Cleveland Indians for the second consecutive day by a score of 6-0 in front of a loud 32,217 attendees at Tropicana Field Saturday. Alex Cobb pitched an impressive outing, pitching into the eighth inning while allowing only four hits. The Rays recorded back-to-back shutouts for the just the second time since 2008 and the sixth time in franchise history.

Cobb posted a 7.1 IP/4 H/0 R/0 ER/3 BB/6 K slash line, keeping the Indians hitters off-balance while pitching out of the few jams he got himself into. Joel Peralta and Cesar Ramos were also impressive, combining for 1-2/3 innings of one hit baseball to close out the eighth and ninth innings.

Two big narratives dominated the game Saturday: The jarring collision between Indians catcher Lou Marson and Desmond Jennings, and the subsequent plunking of Evan Longoria in retaliation.

Marson left the game in the fourth inning with a cervical-neck strain after Jennings slammed into Marson. He was able to hold onto third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall’s throw. “It was clean,” Marson said. “He got me pretty good. He had nowhere to go. I had the plate blocked pretty good, but it’s just my neck is a little sore.”

Both benches were warned by the umpires in the seventh inning when Cody Allen hit Evan Longoria in the buttocks with a pitch. Joe Maddon and the Rays felt the play was intentional, though Maddon went out of his way to absolve the Indians manager Terry Francona of any blame.

“I was actually cleaning my glasses at the time, so I didn’t see it firsthand,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “So then I heard about it, and it’s pretty much a consensus opinion that he did it intentionally. However, I will say one thing unequivocally, I know it did not come from Tito (Francona). He would not do that.

“I know it was a clean baseball play that did not deserve that kind of retaliation,” Maddon added. “The concern that they should have over there is that’s how you get players hurt on your team. For me, it had to come from one of the players, and I would absolutely point to the bullpen.”

Questions whether there may be some blowback Sunday linger, and it will be interesting to see how both teams handle themselves on the field.

Offensively speaking, Tampa Bay left a lot to be desired. The Rays didn’t do much to take advantage of Trevor Bauer’s inability to throw strikes. Tampa Bay got only one run when Bauer walked the first four batters, and none when he put three on in the third. Hitless into the fourth, Tampa Bay went 3-14 wRISP Saturday, only converting one run on four bases loaded scenarios.

Tampa Bay will face the Indians one last time Sunday at Tropicana Field before they head out on an eleven day road trip, taking them into Arlington, Boston and Baltimore. Rays ace David Price will get the start on the bump opposite of Justin Masterson. Price is in position to help the Rays make history after both Matt Moore and Alex Cobb held the Indians to no runs and seven hits through the first two games of this series.

Cleveland has managed nine hits while being outscored 16-0 in the last three meetings with Tampa Bay dating back to last season — a stretch that began July 19, when Price allowed two hits and struck out seven in seven innings of a 6-0 home win.